A Mayo man on trial for murdering his baby son told Gardai he did all he could to save his child’s life.

40 year old John Tighe of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis denies murdering six month old baby Joshua by placing tissue in his mouth on June 1st 2013..

A year later, Mr Tighe gave voluntary interviews to gardai about what happened that day.

He told them he had changed Joshua’s nappy and had gone to the bathroom for no more than five minutes.

He came back, moved Joshua out onto the sitting room and thought something wasn’t right.

He said his baby was blue, he knew something was wrong and thought he was choking on something.

The court he rang Westdoc and asked for help.

He told them his son may have swallowed a tissue or a wipe as they were the only things in his room.

At first he said he couldn’t see anything in his baby’s mouth but later said he thought he could see an obstruction in the back of his throat.

John Tighe said he was in bits that day.

He said he did all he could, but to no avail.